Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

PART II GAS FITTINGS – GENERAL PROVISIONS

Qualification and supervision

3.—(1) A person shall not carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or gas storage vessel unless he is competent to do so.

(2) The employer of any person carrying out such work for that employer, every other employer and self-employed person who has control to any extent of such work and every employer and self-employed person who has required such work to be carried out at any place of work under his control shall ensure that paragraph (1) is complied with in relation to such work.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs (1) and (2) and subject to paragraph (4), an employer shall not allow any of his employees to carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or service pipework and a self-employed person shall not carry out any such work, unless the employer or self-employed person, as the case may be, is a member of a class of persons approved for the time being by the Executive for the purposes of this paragraph.

(4) The requirements of paragraph (3) shall not apply in respect of –

(a) the replacement of a hose or regulator on a portable or mobile space heater; or

(b) the replacement of a hose connecting a refillable cylinder to installation pipework.

(5) An approval given pursuant to paragraph (3) (and any withdrawal of such approval) shall be in writing and notice of it shall be given to such persons and in such manner as the Executive considers appropriate.

(6) The employer of any person carrying out any work in relation to a gas fitting or gas storage vessel in the course of his employment shall ensure that such of the following provisions of these Regulations as impose duties upon that person and are for the time being in operation are complied with by that person.

(7) A person shall not falsely pretend to be a member of a class of persons required to be approved under paragraph (3).

(8) Notwithstanding sub-paragraph (a) of regulation 2(4), when a person is carrying out work in premises referred to in that sub-paragraph in relation to a gas fitting in a vehicle, vessel or caravan –

(a) paragraphs (1), (2) and (6) shall be complied with as respects thereto; and

(b) he shall ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the installation of the gas fittings and flues will not contravene the provisions of these Regulations when the gas fittings are connected to a gas supply,

except that this paragraph shall not apply where the person has reasonable grounds for believing that the vehicle, vessel or caravan will be first used for a purpose which when so used will exclude it from the application of these Regulations by virtue of regulation 2(5)(a), (c) or (e).

Duty on employer

4.  Where an employer or a self-employed person requires any work in relation to a gas fitting to be carried out at any place of work under his control or where an employer or self-employed person has control to any extent of work in relation to a gas fitting, he shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the person undertaking that work is, or is employed by, a member of a class of persons approved by the Executive under regulation 3(3).

Materials and workmanship

5.—(1) A person shall not install a gas fitting unless every part of it is of good construction and sound material, of adequate strength and size to secure safety and of a type appropriate for the gas with which it is to be used.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), a person shall not install in a building any pipe or pipe fitting for use in the supply of gas which is –

(a) made of lead or lead alloy; or

(b) made of a non-metallic substance unless it is –

(i) a pipe connected to a readily movable gas appliance designed for use without a flue; or

(ii) a pipe entering the building and that part of it within the building is placed inside a metallic sheath which is so constructed and installed as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the escape of gas into the building if the pipe should fail.

(3) A person shall not carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or gas storage vessel otherwise than in accordance with appropriate standards and in such a way as to prevent danger to any person.

General safety precautions

6.—(1) A person shall not carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting in such a manner that gas could be released unless steps are taken to prevent the gas so released constituting a danger to any person.

(2) A person carrying out work in relation to a gas fitting shall not leave the fitting unattended unless every incomplete gasway has been sealed with the appropriate fitting or the gas fitting is otherwise safe.

(3) Any person who disconnects a gas fitting shall, with the appropriate fitting, seal off every outlet of every pipe to which it was connected.

(4) A person carrying out work in relation to a gas fitting which involves exposing gasways which contain or have contained flammable gas shall not smoke or use any source of ignition in such a manner as may lead to the risk of fire or explosion.

(5) A person searching for an escape of gas shall not use any source of ignition.

(6) Where a person carries out any work in relation to a gas fitting which might affect the gastightness of the gas installation he shall immediately thereafter test the installation for gastightness at least as far as the nearest valves upstream and downstream in the installation.

(7) A person shall not install a gas storage vessel unless the site where it is to be installed is such as to ensure that the gas storage vessel can be used, filled or refilled without causing a danger to any person.

(8) A person shall not install in a cellar or basement –

(a) a gas storage vessel; or

(b) an appliance fuelled by liquefied petroleum gas which has an automatic ignition device or a pilot light.

(9) A person shall not intentionally or recklessly interfere with a gas storage vessel or otherwise do anything which might affect a gas storage vessel so that the subsequent use of that vessel might cause a danger to any person.

(10) A person shall not store or keep gas consisting wholly or mainly of methane on domestic premises, and, for the purpose of this paragraph, such gas from time to time present in pipes or in the fuel tank of any vehicle propelled by gas, or in a refillable cylinder designed to store gas and not filled or refilled on or near the premises, shall be deemed not to be so stored or kept.

Protection against damage

7.—(1) Any person installing a gas fitting shall ensure that it is properly supported and so placed or protected as to avoid any undue risk of damage to the fitting.

(2) A person shall not install a gas fitting if he has reason to suspect that foreign matter may block or otherwise interfere with the safe operation of the fitting unless he has fitted to the gas inlet of, and any airway in, the fitting a suitable filter or other suitable protection.

(3) A person shall not install a gas fitting in a position where it is likely to be exposed to any substance which may corrode gas fittings unless the fitting is constructed of materials which are inherently resistant to being so corroded or it is suitably protected against being so corroded.

Existing gas fittings

8.—(1) A person shall not make any alteration to any premises in which a gas fitting or gas storage vessel is fitted if that alteration would adversely affect the safety of the fitting or vessel in such a manner that, if the fitting or the vessel had been installed after the alteration, there would have been a contravention of, or failure to comply with, these Regulations.

(2) A person shall not do anything which would affect a gas fitting or any flue or means of ventilation used in connection with the fitting in such a manner that the subsequent use of the fitting might constitute a danger to any person, except that this paragraph does not apply to an alteration to premises.

(3) In relation to any place of work under his control, an employer or a self-employed person shall ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) are complied with.

Emergency controls

9.—(1) A person shall not enable gas to be supplied, for the first time, for use in any premises unless there is provided an appropriately sited emergency control to which there is adequate access.

(2) Any person installing an emergency control shall ensure that –

(a) any key, lever or hand-wheel of the control is securely attached to the operating spindle of the control;

(b) any such key or lever is attached so that –

(i) the key or lever is parallel to the axis of the pipe in which the control is installed when the control is in the open position; and

(ii) where the key or lever is not attached so as to move only horizontally, gas cannot pass beyond the control when the key or lever has been moved as far as possible downwards;

(c) either the means of operating the key or lever is clearly and permanently marked or a notice in permanent form is prominently displayed near such means so as to indicate when the control is open and when the control is shut; and

(d) any hand-wheel indicates the direction of opening or closing of the control.

(3) Where a person installs an emergency control which is not adjacent to a primary meter, he shall immediately thereafter prominently display on or near the means of operating the control a suitably worded notice in permanent form indicating the procedure to be followed in the event of an escape of gas.

(4) Where any person first supplies gas to premises where an emergency control is installed, he shall ensure that the notice required by paragraph (3) remains suitably worded or shall, where necessary, forthwith amend or replace that notice so as to give effect to the provisions of that paragraph.

(5) This regulation shall not apply where gas is supplied in a refillable cylinder except where two or more cylinders are connected by means of an automatic change-over device.

Maintaining electrical continuity

10.  In any case where it is necessary to prevent danger, a person shall not carry out work in relation to a gas fitting without using a suitable bond to maintain electrical continuity until the work is completed and permanent electrical continuity has been restored.